Apple wants to try to make it easy to move from Android to iOS

Want to move from Android to iOS, yeah we don’t either, but there are people who do. Google has made tools, and guides to make it easy to switch from iOS to Android, so it’s only natural for Apple to try and make it easy for Android users to switch to iOS.

In this mornings announcements from their World Wide Developer Conference, it appears that Apple has a tool in the works – it hasn’t appeared in Google Play yet – to help move your data. The tool is fairly comprehensive, though obviously your paid Apps, Movies and Music from Google Play won’t be available, or as Apple says on their website:

Just download the Move to iOS app to wirelessly switch from your Android device to your new iOS device. It securely transfers your contacts, message history, camera photos and videos, web bookmarks, mail accounts, calendars, wallpaper, and DRM-free songs and books. And it will help you rebuild your app library, too. Any free apps you used — like Facebook and Twitter — are suggested for download from the App Store. And your paid apps are added to your iTunes Wish List.

There’s good reasons to try to entice Android users to iOS, with Android globally commanding over 80% market share of mobile OS usage. The app will most likely appear quite quickly thanks to a streamlined process to add apps to Google Play, though it will still involve a manual review. We’ll keep an eye out and let you know when the app is live to see all the Material Design goodness (hah) inside.

Daniel Tyson Editor

Dan is a die-hard Android fan. Some might even call him a lunatic. He's been an Android user since Android was a thing, and if there's a phone that's run Android, chances are he owns it (his Nexus collection is second-to-none) or has used it.

Dan's dedication to Ausdroid is without question, and he has represented us at some of the biggest international events in our industry including Google I/O, Mobile World Congress, CES and IFA.

And why would someone do that? Apart from all the Android vs. Apple digs, just consider the commercial implications. I am sure I am not alone when I say that I have spent a fair bit of money on the Android ecosystem. And since Android and Apple don’t play well together, a move to Apple means that I will have to fork out all that money on the same apps again. If I look at the apps, books, music and videos I have purchased from gPlay, I will need to fork out in access of $1000 again. No thanks. I… Read more »

as you have clearly stated, it depends on how much you have spent. But in saying that, I have spent hundreds on iOS apps before I moved to Android and it didn’t bother me. I moved back to iOS recently and all the apps I’m leaving didn’t bother me other. I still have my Android devices though so I can still play that game where I spent hundreds on in-app purchases…

Also, if anyone put a HTC One M8 in the recycling bin of an Apple store, what do you think would happen??? The Apple store employees would fight for it, either to keep it for them self or sell it for money.

Have to admit they did a good job choosing the HTC One as their ‘undesirable Android’ pone. People will think they’re getting a bigger screened phone, with significantly less black padding by switching to an iPhone.